Vehice running-gear.



" No: 757.4%. PATBNTED ABR. 19, 1904.

o. P.V MALCOLM. VEHICLE RUNNING GEAR.. APPLICATION FILED AFBQM, 1903.

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" No. 751476. PATBNTED ABR'. 19, 1904.7"

c. P. MALCOLM. VEHICLE RUNNING mim.V

APPLIUATION FILED APRQ'lB, 1903.

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UNTTED STATES Patented April 19, 1904.

CHARLES' P. MALCOLM, OF OWOSSO, MICHIGAN.

VEHICLE RUNNING-GEAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 757,476, dated April19, 1904.

Application filed April 18, 1903. Serial No. 153.232. (No model.)

To all whont it nfl/ay concern,.-

Be it known that LCHARLES P. MALCOLM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Owosso, in the county of Shiawassee and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor-VehicleRunning-Gear, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to improvements in the running-gear ofmotor-vehicles of the type of the automobile which are driven by gas,va-

Itsobject is to support the engine so that the jar or vibration thereofwill not be transmitted to the body to any appreciable extent, thusmaking an easy-riding vehicle, and also to so support the engine thatits main driving-shaft may be geared directly to the driving-axlewithout the intervention of driving? chains or other flexible means ofpower Vtransmission to compensate for the flexure of the spring-supportof the engine.

It is also' an object of'this invention to provide an eflicientrunning-gear composed of few parts which may be easily manufactured.

To this end the invention consists in supporting both the vehicle-bodyand engine upon springs, each' entirely independent of the other, and inproviding an engine-supporting frame pivoted at one end to turn upon thedriving-axle and supported at its opposite end upon a spring secured tothe other axle, the engine-frame being extended longitudinally of theframe and geared to the rear axle to transmit power directly thereto.

The invention also consists in the construction of the engine-supportingframe and in the particular arrangement and construction of the parts,all as hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out inthe claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a longitudinal section on the line a; fc of Fig. 2 of aconstruction embodying the invention with the vehicle-body shown indotted lines. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. Sis a front elevation, and Fig. 4 is an` enlarged section on theline y y of Fig. 2.

A is the rear or driving axle, pivoted with the ordinary bearing-sleeveA', through which the axle extends.

B is the front axle, to which the front or steering wheels are pivotallyattached in the ordinary manner; C, the reach portions connecting theaxles, and D the body, (shown in dotted lines,) supported upon the axlesbythe four springs D.

E is the engine-supporting frame, consisting of the two T-bars E', whichare provided with bearings E2 at their rear ends to embrace the sleeve Aof the driving-axle and turn thereon and which extend forward parallelwith each other to a point above the front axle, where theyare connectedby outwardlyextending anges F on the engine-casing F. Secured` bysuitable clips to the middle of the downwardly-bent portion B' of theaxle B is a spring G, which extends longitudinally of the axleand issecured at its upper side to the flange F or engine-casing to supportthe forward end of the frame E. Y

H is the balance-wheel of' the engine, located at the forward side ofthe engine and in front of the springv G, where it is accessible instarting the engine, and the engine-shaft I extends rearwardly in thelongitudinal center line of the frame E to a point. adjacent to thedriving-axle, which is provided with two opposing bevel-gears adapted tobe engaged by a suitable bevel-pinion J' on the end of the said shaft.These gears J are spaced at a distance apart greater than the diameterof the ends to the T-bars E near the rear axle, and

upon this casting is a bearing-ring L', having laterally-projectingslotted arms L2, through which slots and through the castings L extendthe bolts L3 to secure the ring to the casting and at the same timeallow said ring to be moved laterally of the frame E. A bearingblock L4for the shaft I is pivotally supported within the ring L' and preventedfrom moving longitudinally therein by the bearingscrews L5, carried bythe ring and engaging the upper and lower sides of the block, so thatwhen the ring is moved laterally by means of the operating-rod L6 toshift the gear J' the angle of the bearing-block may change with theshaft and allow for the movement of the/ ring.

M is a change-speed gearing supported by the transverse frames M',secured at their ends to thev bars E' and provided with bearings for theshaft I and also for a countershaft I'. rIhe shaft I is divided at I2,and connecting the divided ends is a sleeve O, splined to the rear partof the shaft to move longitudinally thereon and turn therewith, whichsleeve is provided at each end with a frictioncone O' to engage cups N2,one of said cups being integral with the small gear N, securedly keyedon the engine end of the shaft, and

the other cup being integral with the large gear N', which is looselysleeved on the opposing end of the shaft, and secured on thecounter-shaft is a large gear P, in mesh with the gear N, and also asmall gear P', in mesh with the gear N'. Means (not shown) are providedfor moving the sleeve O, so that when a high speed is desired theoperator will move the sleeve to bring the friction-clutch on the gear Ninto operation, thus uniting the divided ends ofthe shaft, and powerWill be transmitted direct from the engine through the sleeve and splineto the rear part of the shaft. When slow speed is desired, the sleeve ismoved to bring the cone into contact With the cup on the gear N',andmotion will be transmitted from the engine part of the shaft throughthe gears N and P to the counter-shaft and from the counter-shaftthrough the gears P' and N', the clutch on the gear N', the sleeve andspline to the rear part of the shaft, and thus by reason of the size andproportion. of the gears the speed will be reduced.

It is evident that any other suitable changespeed gearing may be usedand that the joint K, means for supporting and moving the shaft, andreverse-gearing may be omitted.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In amotor-vehicle running-gear,the combination of the driving-axle, and thevehiclebody and engine supported on springs each entirely independent ofthe other, an enginesupporting frame pivoted at one end on thedriving-axle and at its other end spring-supported from the other axle,the engine having a shaft extended rearward, and a balance- Wheel onsaid shaft forward of the front spring,

a pivotal support for the rear end of saidshaft and a universal joint insaid shaft between' said pivotal support and the balance-wheel.

2. In a motor-vehicle running-gear,the combination of a driving-axle, avehicle-body and an engine supported on springs each entirelyindependent of the other, an engine-supporting frame pivoted at one endon thel drivingaxle and at the other spring-supported from the otheraxle, the engine-shaft extended rearward, a balance-wheel on the saidshaft for- Ward of the front spring, a laterally-movable bearing for therear end of the shaft, and pivoted means in said bearing adapted to hemoved to change the angle thereof.

3. In amotor-vehicle running-gear the combination, with thedriving-axle, of an enginesupporting frame pivotally secured at one endto said axle and spring-supported at its opposite end, an engine on saidframe having a divided driving-shaft -extending longitudinally of theframe in a line described radially from the driving-axle, abalance-wheel on said shaft forward of the front spring, a gear on saidshaft, a gear on the axle in mesh with said gear, a counter-shaftextending parallel With the driving-shaft, frames provided withbearingsfor the divided ends of the driving-shaft and the counter-shaft andsecured to the frame, a sleeve connecting `the divided ends of thedrive-shaft and splined to the driving ends, friction cones on saidsleeve, a small gear sleeved on the shaft at one side of the sleeve andprovided with a friction-cup, a large gear secured to the shaft at theother side of the sleeve and also provided with a cup, a large gearsecured to the counter-shaft in mesh with the small gear, land a smallgear on the counter-shaft in mesh with the large gear.

4:. In a motor-vehicle running-gear, the combination of an enginesupported at the forward end entirely independently of the vehicle body,a rearwardly extending engineshaft, a balance-wheel on the forward endthereof in advance of the support of the engine, a eXible joint in saidshaft, a laterallymovable bearing-ring for the rear end of said shaft, abearing-block pivotally mounted in said ring, and means for changing theangle of said bearing-block.

5. In a motor-vehicle running-gear, the combination of an enginesupported at the forward end entirely independently of the vehiclebody,a rearwardly-extending engine-shaft, a balance-wheel on the forward endthereof in advance of the support of the engine, a flexible joint insaid shaft, a laterally-movable bearing-ring for the rear end of saidshaft, a bearing -block pivotally mounted in said ring, means forchanging the angle of said bearingblock, and means preventinglongitudinal movement of said block within said ring.

6. In a motor-vehicle running-gear, the combination of an enginesupported at the for- IOO IOS

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`Warcl end entirely independent of the vehiclebody, arearwardly-extended engine-shaft, a.

balance -wheel thereon, a laterally movable bearing-ring for the rearend of said shaft,

5 means pivoted in said ring, and means for changing the angle of saidmeans.

In testimony Wh ereof I have signed my name to this specification inpresence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES P. MALCOLM.

Witnesses:

J. A. SMITH, W. REVELL.

